Universal beverage holder



Aug. 1, 1961 M. NELSON UNIVERSAL BEVERAGE HOLDER Filed June 8, 1959 Lester MNelson IN VEN TOR United States Patent 2,994,438 UNIVERSAL BEVERAGE HOLDER Lester M. Nelson, 5209 NE. 60th Ave., Vancouver, Wash. Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,716 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-71) This invention relates to service holders, and more particularly to a device for holding a plate and a beverage container enabling these two articles to be held by one hand, thus to free the other for eating or drinking from the container.

The invention has particular utility in buffets, barbecues, planes, etc., where room is often limited and meals are distributed to customers without the facility of a table and the like.

In general terms, the device of the invention comprises an elongated member usually of sheet material which is cut or formed so as to have at one end an annulus adapted snugly to receive a cup or other container, and which has at its other end means for holding a plate. Intermediate the ends of the holder is a portion which functions as a handle when the device is held by one hand. During use of the holder, the plate and container occupy positions on either side of the hand which are easily reached by a person eating.

A feature and object of the invention is the provision of downwardly extending loops in the material forming the annulus. These loops preferably are on either side of the holder, and are to receive the handle of a cup. The loops are properly located so that any cup mounted in the holder is in proper position to be lifted out of the holder by either a left or right handed user. The loops in addition perform the very important function of laterally stabilizing the holder when the holder rests on a table. This is important and a convenience to any one serving a meal using the holder.

Another feature of the invention is the provision at the end of the holder away from the annulus of novel means for firmly carrying -a plate. This means specifically comprises a support position adapted to lie under the base of a plate. Inwardly on the member from the support portion is clip means which fits over the lip or margins of a plate. The clip means and support cooperate firmly to hold a plate in position.

In an embodiment of the invention, it is contemplated that the support be provided with a suction cup or similar means for promoting lateral stability of the plate in the holder. It is also contemplated that in an embodiment of the invention a pronged support be provided the plate comprising plural diverging legs. These legs assist the loops of the annulus in supporting the holder from tipping over on its side on a table.

It is another object of the invention to provide for such a holder an adapter that may be snapped onto the annulus to reduce the diameter of its center opening. The adapter makes the holder useful for glasses as well as cups, the latter usually having somewhat larger diam,- eters.

Other features and objects are attained in the invention, the same being described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a holder constructed according to an embodiment of the invention, illustrating in dotted outline the positions of a plate and cup supported thereon and the left hand of the usual right handed user;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the holder in FIG. 1, illustrating how the plate and cup fit on the holder:

FIG. 3 illustrates a modification of the invention, and shows a holder fitted with an adapter and also a different type of support for a plate; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the holder in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the service holder of the invention comprises an elongated body or member of sheet material indicated at 10. The member is provided at one end, or the right end in FIGS. 1 and 2, with a hollowed-out portion indicated generally at 12 snugly for receiving a bev erage container or cup 14, and at its other end holding means generally indicated at 16 for supporting a plate or saucer 18. Intermediate the holding means 16 and portion 12 is a handle or shank portion 20, that is employed by a user to carry the holder at suitable eating level.

Hollowed-out portion 12 comprises an annulus integrally formed at the end of the holder and having a vertically extending center opening. The annulus is positioned relative to shank 20 so that the shank or handle projects radially outwardly from the axis of the center opening of the annulus. The annulus has two depending loop portions, 24a and 24b, at diametrically opposite sides of the annulus and on either side of the longitudinal axis of the holder. These are to receive the handle of the usual cup, indicated at 22. The loop portion on the right side of the annulus viewing the top of the holder with the annulus held away from the viewer is the one used by a right handed person. The loop portions it will be seen define downwardly extending recesses. The loop portions also serve the important function of stabilizing the holder when the holder rests on a table and thus constitute a stabilizing means. The annulus occupies a horizontal plane in operative position that is spaced above the level of the opposite end of the holder. The bases 25 of the loop portions in operative position for the holder are at the same level as the base of the other end of the holder, that is to say, the base of said other end and bases 25 define a support plane. Thus the bases of the loops may rest on a table surface when preparing a meal for serving to prevent the holder from tipping over to one side.

Holding means 16 comprises an underlying support means or portion 26 aligned substantially with the longitudinal axis of the holder joined to the shank or handle portion 20 and at a lower level than annulus 12. A web of material 27 joins support portion 26 to the handle, and curves upwardly from the support portion in such a manner as to provide clearance for a dish or plate placed on the support portion. Integral with shank portion 20 and forming part of the holding means are two clips 28, one on each side thereof. These may be formed by cutting diagonal cuts in the body of the holder and bending web 27 downwardly. In operative position, a plate supported on the holder has its marginal edge inserted between the clips and the web of material 27.

A plate is made completely fast on support means 26 by including a suction cup 30 in the support means. In the embodiment illustrated, the suction cup takes conventional form, and is mounted by inserting an enlarged rubber snap end 32 of the cup through a suitable bore provided support means 26.

When the holder of FIGS. 1 and 2 is held by the left hand as illustrated, a cup snugly fits into annulus 12 with the handle extending to the right of the holder. Normally during use the holder is held so that the plate is closer to the person eating the meal than the cup. This places the handle of the cup in a position where it is an easy matter for a person to reach alongside the plate and grasp the handle prior to removing it from the annulus. With a left handed person, the holder would be held in the right hand and the handle of the cup normally would seat within the other of the loop portions.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, in this embodiment the support means for the plate comprises two legs 34 extending laterally to either side of the longitudinal axis of the holder. A rubber suction cup 30 is provided where the legs join, and at the ends of the legs. The three suction cups grip onto the base of any plate and provide three point support for the plate. The provision of two laterally diverging legs also has the feature of increasing the stability of the holder when the holder is rested on a table.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a detachable adapter or ring 40 is included which is snapped onto the annulus, as by snaps 42. Ring 40 has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the annulus. The adapter is snapped on the annulus when it is desired to use the holder for smaller diameter containers with no handles, such as glasses. With the adapter in place, the loops still are important in stabilizing the holder from tipping laterally when resting on a table.

It should be obvious that there are several novel features in the invention which make it extremely useful in dispensing meals in confined quarters. The holder is effective to hold a plate and a cup or glass within easy reach of ones free hand when held by the other hand. The loops function both to support the holder and to provide means for receiving the handle of a cup. The raised position of the annulus permits a cup or glass to be fitted in the annulus with a substantial portion thereof extending through the center opening.

It is contemplated that the holder may be made of thin sheet metal. Alternatively, it could be prepared from coated or processed paper or card stock, or made of plastic, so long as materials with requisite rigidity were selected. It made of the latter materials, the holder could be considered a temporary device and used only once, after which it could be thrown away.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A holder for a plate and a beverage container comprising, in operative position, an elongated member hav- 4 ing at one end thereof a thin annulus open at top and bottom substantially occupying a horizontal plane and disposed above the level of the other end of the member, said annulus having two dependent loops joined thereto and open at their top ends and disposed on either side of the longitudinal axis of the holder, said loops having bottoms positioned at the level of the base of the other end of said member, said other end having support means aligned substantially with the longitudinal axis of the holder adapted to mount the base of a plate, said member having intermediate its ends clip means for gripping onto the margins of a plate when such plate is mounted on said support means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the support means has suction means for fastening onto the base of a plate.

3. A holder for a plate and a beverage container comprising, in operative position, an elongated member having at one end thereof a thin annulus open at the top and bottom and occupying substantially a horizontal plane and at the other end thereof support means for a plate, said annulus being disposed above the level of the bottom of the support means for the plate, and stabilizing means joined to the annulus and depending from the annulus and having a bottom disposed at the level of the bottom of the support means for the plate, the latter means comprising a pair of depending loop portions joined to the annulus and open at their tops and located on either side of the longitudinal axis of the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,081 Reyer Sept. 10, 1895 1,922,935 Du Bois Aug. 15, 1933 2,665,872 De Witt Jan. 12, 1954 2,719,414 Davis Oct. 4, 1955 2,916,180 Alger Dec. 8, 1959 

